The Freedom Park

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Freedom Park, which sits atop Salvokop Hill, is punctuated by a sculpture of ascending “reeds” that are dramatically illuminated at night. Started in 2000 in response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s call for new symbols to resolve past conflicts, and still partly under construction, the park is a courageous and successful attempt to create a memorial that speaks to all sections of post-apartheid society in South Africa. Visits are by guided tour only and take you past The Wall of Names, inscribed with the names of 75,000 victims of various South African conflicts, an eternal flame to the unknown soldier, and boulders representing important moments in the history of the country’s nine provinces – Gauteng’s rock symbolizes the peaceful marches in Soweto, Sharpville, Mamelodi and other townships that were met by police violence.